Human Oncology & Pathogenesis Program

The Piro Lito Lab

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Research

Piro Lito, MD, PhD
Piro Lito, MD, PhD

Our group studies the properties of oncoproteins that drive cancer cell growth, focusing on lung cancer and other solid tumors. We are interested in understanding how these are activated, their regulatory mechanisms, and how they modulate the behavior of cancer cells. To answer these questions we utilize small molecule inhibitors coupled with biochemical and genetic approaches in patient-derived cell line or xenograft model systems. We aim to provide insight into the fundamental processes that govern tumor biology and to identify therapeutic interventions that will prolong survival and improve the quality of life in patients with cancer. 

Research Projects

The Piro Lito Lab

Featured News

Finding
Yonina Murciano-Goroff, Jenny Xue, Bob Li, Piro Lito, and Yulei Zhao.
MSK Researchers Are Learning Why Some Patients Develop Resistance to ‘Landmark’ Lung Cancer Drug

A paper from MSK researchers reports that resistance to sotorasib, a new targeted drug for lung cancer, can be caused by many different molecular changes.
In the Lab
Physician-scientist Piro Lito
Researchers Uncover New Findings about KRAS, an Important Protein in Cancer

Researchers have taken a closer look at what a protein called KRAS does in normal cells and how certain KRAS mutations lead to for cancer growth.
Feature
Three photos of Karen Milich: one with her grandson, one of her with her sons, and one of her alone
How Four Decades of Research Led to a Breakthrough Treatment for Lung Cancer

Read how a clinical trial is changing the outlook for some people with lung cancer.

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Publications

Zhao Y, Murciano-Goroff Y, Xue Y, Ang A, Lucas J, Da Cruz Paula A, Mai T, Sisk A, Arora K, Roy R, Kim D, Li C, Lim L, Li M, Bahr A, Loomis B, de Stanchina E, Reis-Filho J, Weigelt B, Berger M, Riely G, Arbour K, Lipford R, Li B and Lito P. Diverse genetic alterations associated with resistance to KRAS(G12C) inhibition.Nature. 2021 Nov 10; 599(7886):679-683. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04065-2 PMID: 34759319

Li C, Vides A, Kim D, Xue J, Zhao Y and Lito P. The G-protein signaling regulator RGS3 enhances the GTPase activity of KRAS. Science. 2021 Oct 8;374(6564):197-201 PMID: 34618566

Xue JY, Zhao Y, Aronowitz J, Mai TT, Vides A, Qeriqi B, Kim D, Li C, de Stanchina E, Mazutis L, Risso D, Lito P. Rapid non-uniform adaptation to conformation-specific KRAS(G12C) inhibition. Nature. 2020;577(7790):421-5. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1884-x. PMID: 31915379

Hong DS*, Fakih MG, Strickler JH, Desai J, Durm JA,Shapiro GI, Falchook GS, Price TJ, Denlinger CS, Bang YJ, Dy GK, Krauss JC, Kuboki Y, Kuo JC, Coveler AL, Park K, Kim TW, Barlesi F, Munster PN, Burns TF, Meric-Bernstam F, Henary H, Ngang J, Ngarmchamnanrith G, Kim J, Houk BE, Canon J, Lipford JR, Lito P*, Govindan R*, Li BT*. KRAS G12C inhibition in advanced solid tumors. New England Journal of Medicine, 2020. Sep 24;383(13):1207-1217. PMID: 32955176* Equal contribution/co-senior authors

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People

Piro Lito, MD, PhD

Piro Lito, MD, PhD

  • Physician-scientist Piro Lito studies oncoproteins that drive cancer cell growth.
  • MD,PhD, Michigan State University
View physician profile
Physician profile

Members

Carlos Ayala Santos
Carlos Ayala Santos

Research Technician

Dongsung Kim
Dongsung Kim

Research Associate

Chuanchuan Li, PhD
Chuanchuan Li

Research Associate

Yasin Pourfarjam
Yasin Pourfarjam

Research Fellow

Ben Sang

Research Fellow

Alberto Vides, BS
Alberto Vides

Research Technician

Yaohua (Jenny) Xue
Yaohua (Jenny) Xue

Tri-I MD/PhD student

Yulei Zhao
Yulei Zhao

Research Associate

Lab Alumni
Jessica Lucas
Jessica Lucas

Research Technician

Lab Affiliations

Achievements

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  • Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator (2017)
  • The V Foundation for Cancer Research, Translational Research Award (2015)
  • LUNGevity Foundation, Career Development Award (2015)
  • NIH K08, Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award (2015)
  • Stand up to Cancer Lung Cancer Dream Team, Young Investigator (2015)
  • Conquer Cancer Foundation, Young Investigator Award (2013)
  • Charles A. Dana Fellow/Clinical Scholar in Biomedical Research (2011)

Open Positions

To learn more about available postdoctoral opportunities, please visit our Career Center

To learn more about compensation and benefits for postdoctoral researchers at MSK, please visit Resources for Postdocs

Postdoctoral Positions

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Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Piro Lito discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • AmMax Bio, Inc.
    Provision of Services
  • Black Diamond Therapeutics, Inc.
    Provision of Services
  • Boehringer Ingelheim
    Provision of Services
  • Frontier Medicines Corporation
    Ownership / Equity Interests; Provision of Services
  • Repare Therapeutics
    Provision of Services (uncompensated)
  • Revolution Medicines
    Provision of Services

The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2021 through disclosure submission in spring 2022). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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